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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27238675">when the time comes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstonly/pseuds/angstonly'>angstonly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>when we're grown [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - After College/University, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:02:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,529</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27238675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstonly/pseuds/angstonly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>sicheng stares at him, his heart pounding in his chest as his hands clam up. it's not like it comes as a surprise or anything. they're not stupid enough not to pick up on each other's feelings—it's more that they've come to an understanding not to say it out loud.</p><p>not until it's time to.</p><p>(or: a confession after six years of being quietly but obviously in love)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>when we're grown [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988761</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>when the time comes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>a spinoff of my kunten universe that shows jaewin's morning after :~) a short one-shot written during study breaks since i missed writing jaewin. you don't need to have read the kunten!</p><p>comments and kudos always appreciated &lt;3</p><p>and happy birthday sicheng &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun peeks harshly through the curtains, waking Sicheng up before he's ready. He stirs, frowns deeply as he shields his eyes, wanting to return to peaceful slumber for a little bit longer. The sun is unrelenting though, and it shines at him until he begrudgingly finally sits up.</p><p>He reaches over to the bedside table for his glasses, rubbing at his temples as he feels the pounding headache that's to be expected after the night he had. Reunions with his college friends always end up like this in one way or another—especially when Johnny, Yuta, and Taeil are taking the lead.</p><p>It's okay, he supposes. It's not like they do it all the time. Their livers are past their prime, and it's only during special occasions that they allow themselves the luxury of destroying them.</p><p>He reaches for his phone and grimaces at the hundreds of unread messages in their group chat. Like he usually does, he ignores them and looks at Kun's texts instead.</p><p><strong>partner in crime<br/>
</strong>› sicheng oh my god<br/>
› SICHENG PLEASE WAKE UP<br/>
› DONG SICHENG<br/>
› SICHENG TEN LOVES ME<br/>
› WE'VE BEEN IN LOVE ALL THIS TIME</p><p>Sicheng stares at his messages, eyebrows pinched together. Well, <em>duh</em> they've been in love with each other all this time. That was never really questioned, at least by Sicheng, who has stood by Kun's side throughout all his sad seemingly-unrequited pining. It's a couple of years late, but Kun finally gets his boy and Sicheng is happy about that.</p><p>It's almost two in the afternoon, just about the time he usually wakes after a night of drinking. The hangover feels worse than he remembers for some reason, which he supposes is from the fact that they've aged since their prime partying days. His rickety joints can barely keep up with standing all night, let alone dancing. How he used to do this, he isn't so sure. Those were the days.</p><p>He decides between nursing his headache and going back to sleep. He doesn't really have much to do today, so the latter option is growing increasingly appealing. Before he could sink back into the comforts of his bed, he hears Kun's voice in the back of his head scolding him for wasting his day away.</p><p>Curse Kun Qian and his behavior conditioning.</p><p>So he steps out of his room. And there in his living room is a half-naked Jaehyun, hugging a throw pillow with the most peaceful look on his face as he sleeps.</p><p>He leans on his door frame, watches as he stirs in his sleep. It isn't the first time he's stayed over at Sicheng's—in fact, Jaehyun stays over so often that he might as well live here. Sicheng has considered offering, but he always ends up thinking against it instead. Living with Jaehyun would put him in a constant state of internal turmoil, and Sicheng would end up having daily heart attacks from being in such close proximity.</p><p>As he gets lost in his thoughts, he doesn't realize that Jaehyun has already woken up. He's staring at a spot on his wall when Jaehyun comes into his field of vision, smiling sleepily and sweetly at him. Sicheng startles, heaves out a sigh. He wants to punch him. Who the fuck allowed him to look this good just having woken up?</p><p>"What are you thinking about?" Jaehyun asks, voice still hoarse and raspy. Honestly, this is unfair. Sicheng wants to cry.</p><p>He reels his emotions in and shrugs, peels himself off the wall to walk to the kitchen. Jaehyun gets up from the couch to follow after him, though not before putting his shirt on. Sicheng has half a mind to tell him he didn't need to, but he keeps that thought to himself.</p><p>"Just hungover," Sicheng says, brewing the two of them coffee. "Ever notice how you're always here? How did you even end up staying over last night? I don't remember much."</p><p>Jaehyun sits on one of the stools by the counter. He's still clearly sleepy, resting his head on the cool surface of the counter. He yawns, and it has Sicheng yawning too.</p><p>"My memory isn't all here either," he admits. "I think we just did as we usually do whenever we're all out drinking."</p><p>Sicheng looks over at Jaehyun, who has straightened up in his seat. They share a meaningful gaze, one that's filled with a lot of unspoken conversation that tells him all that he needs to know. It's something that frustrates everyone around them, something they themselves know isn't the most ideal. They do it anyway.</p><p>What they usually do: get stupid blackface drunk and tell each other what they wish they could say sober, leaving it all in that night and never speaking of it again.</p><p>Sicheng hums as the coffee finishes, and he pours them both a cup.</p><p>"Can I ask you something, though?" Jaehyun says as Sicheng sits beside him. "I know we don't usually bring things up again the morning after, but it's been nagging at me."</p><p>"Sure." Sicheng's heart speeds up in his chest.</p><p>"What exactly is stopping us right now?"</p><p>Sicheng's voice is caught in his throat. There have been so many reasons over the years, reasons they talk about with liquid courage. They could never find the timing. Sometimes, it's because of Sicheng. Sometimes, it's because of Jaehyun. Most of the time, it's both of them who just aren't ready to take action.</p><p>He thinks back to the night before, plays in his head what little he remembers of their inebriated conversation. They sat themselves on the bathroom floor, relishing in the cool tiles and close proximity to the toilet. They always end up talking in the bathroom.</p><p><em>What do you mean you don't have a Jaehyun?</em> He had asked.</p><p><em>I said I didn't have a boyfriend and Kun said I have you</em>, Sicheng replied.</p><p>Jaehyun had sighed and said, <em>You do though</em>.</p><p>Jaehyun is staring at him with the same intensity now as he did the night before. In all honesty, all the other reasons from the past no longer apply. They've both grown since then; they've both achieved what they wanted to achieve. All the priorities they had before have been fulfilled.</p><p>If anything, the only thing stopping them now is Sicheng's fear.</p><p>"Hey," Jaehyun then says, hand slipping into Sicheng's as he smiles. "If you're scared, so am I. We've been at this for years in a seemingly unending loop, you know? We've found comfort in our situation because it's familiar, and neither of us really likes delving into unfamiliar territory."</p><p>"Are you a mind-reader or something?" Sicheng quips, squeezing Jaehyun's hand.</p><p>"No." He chuckles, offering another smile. "I just know you that well."</p><p>"Yikes." Sicheng exaggerates a grimace. "You after my heart or something? It totally skipped a beat just now."</p><p>Jaehyun laughs and shakes his head. Sicheng is sure that Jaehyun's used to it by now—the way he greets anything serious with a joke. He's never been one to openly talk about feelings, which is why it almost exclusively happens when he has something in his system that has him speaking more freely.</p><p>His throat feels dry. He wants to say something, but he doesn't know what. He wonders if now is the time for him to finally say his feelings out loud.</p><p>But before he manages to, Jaehyun says it before him.</p><p>"Sicheng, I've been in love with you since we were freshmen in college."</p><p>Sicheng stares at him, his heart pounding in his chest as his hands clam up. It's not like it comes as a surprise or anything. They're not stupid enough not to pick up on each other's feelings—it's more that they've come to an understanding not to say it out loud.</p><p>Not until it's time to.</p><p>"So it's time, huh?" Sicheng finally cracks a grin. Jaehyun mirrors the expression on his face as he shrugs. "After, what, six years?"</p><p>"If I left it up to you, we'd have another ten years." Jaehyun nudges him teasingly. Sicheng laughs.</p><p>"You're not wrong," he says. Sicheng has never been good at taking charge, at taking that next step. He fears change, fears that things would go wrong. But with how warm and confident Jaehyun looks as they exchange gazes, Sicheng's fears slowly dissipate.</p><p>What's there to be afraid of? This is Jaehyun.</p><p>It's always been Sicheng and Jaehyun—from the day they met to now. It's always been Sicheng and Jaehyun. Everyone knows it.</p><p>So finally, after years of holding it inside, of keeping it tucked carefully in his heart, he speaks.</p><p>"I love you."</p><p>And it feels just as good as it did back then—just as warm as it did the first time they both realized how in love they were with each other.</p><p>He didn't think it would make a difference to say it out loud when they both knew it already deep down, but it does. It absolutely does.</p><p>Because the way Jaehyun's face lights up brighter than he'd ever seen before is reason enough for him to say it over and over and over again.</p><p>So he does.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="http://twitter.com/angstonly">twt</a>
  <br/>
  <a href="http://curiouscat.me/angstonly">cc</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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